No respite for commuters as taxis, autos remain off road

People arriving at various railway stations and inter-state bus terminals had a tough time as most autorickshaws and taxis remained off the road for the second consecutive day. Though the traffic police allowed the buses to go close to the exit gates of railway stations, rioters did not let passengers board them.

“I was not allowed to board the bus. I ultimately walked down to the Chandni Chowk Metro station with my luggage and took the Metro to Gurgaon,” said Taskeen Agha, who arrived at Old Delhi Railway Station on Thursday morning.

Autorickshaw and taxi unions claimed the strike was successful. “This should serve as a wake-up call for the Delhi government,” Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh’s Rajendra Soni said.

Transport minister Ramakant Goswami said public transport was not disrupted at all. “There were more DTC buses today,” he said.

With nationalised bank employees being part of the strike, people complained that many ATMs had run out of cash. “I had to try at least five ATMs before I could withdraw cash,” said Niharika Singh of Rohini.

Opposing privatisation of the board, employees of the Delhi Jal Board raised slogans in front of the DJB headquarters Varunalaya at Jhandewalan on both Wednesday and Thursday.

Traders from various parts of the city also held a ‘solidarity protest dharna’ at Jantar Mantar.